Watch: Darrell Issa’s Wall Street Hypocrisy Exposed

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) is outraged that the IRS reportedly paid out $2.8 million in bonuses over a two-year period to employees who had been disciplined by the agency.

That’s perfectly understandable, but Issa opened up a can of worms when he told CBS News, “In the private sector, you don’t get bonuses, pay increases and promotions right after you’ve done something wrong, and that’s what’s really wrong with the culture there… At a minimum, people should have a time-out from bonuses and promotions after being found doing something wrong. That should be inherently part of the punishment.”

As The Huffington Post’s Adriana Usero pointed out, that actually happens in the private sector all the time. And in the past, when Wall Street’s wrongdoings plunged the global economy into the worst downturn in 80 years, Darrell Issa didn’t muster the same sense of indignation. Watch this video of Issa, as HuffPo described it, “flip-flopping on bonuses so hard that it hurts.”

This isn’t the first time that Issa has been… less than consistent when it comes to bonuses. In 2011, Politico reported that Issa viewed it as “a contradiction for Obama to have chastised Wall Street bankers for bonuses while not seeking to curb compensation at Fannie and Freddie.” But two years earlier, Issa voted against an amendment to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, better known as TARP, that would have limited bonuses for bailed-out institutions, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Do not intentionally make false or misleading statements, impersonate someone else, break the law, or condone or encourage unlawful activity.

If your comments consistently or intentionally make this community a less civil and enjoyable place to be, you and your comments will be excluded from it.

We need your help with this. If you feel a post is not in line with the comment policy, please flag it so that we can take a look. Comments and questions about our policy are welcome. Please send an email to info@moyersmedia.com